https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Alzheimer's disease is best known for its effects on memory and cognition, but the disease also involves changes in how brain cells produce and use energy. Mitochondria, the structures that supply much of a cell's energy, can become dysfunctional in Alzheimer's disease. At the same time, changes in blood flow and oxygen availability may place additional demands on brain tissue. Understanding how these processes interact could help researchers characterize metabolic changes that accompany the disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-optical-imaging-links-metabolism-oxygen.html Biotechnology Sat, 17 Oct 2026 04:16:41 EDT news711429340 Every time a tissue grows or renews itself, cells must divide inside an already crowded environment. That creates a fundamental problem that scientists have not fully understood: How does a tightly packed sheet of cells make room for two daughter cells when there was once only one? https://phys.org/news/2026-10-scientists-cell-division-cells-reshape.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 16 Oct 2026 18:20:01 EDT news711373576 In a study of fingertip regeneration, a team led by JAX senior research scientist James Godwin found that some immune cells in mice can attack and kill cells needed to rebuild bone, while a subset of those same immune cells can protect the bone-making cells and allow regeneration to continue. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-immune-cells-play-opposing-roles.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:00:05 EDT news711362122 Our brain must be able to learn new things without losing previously stored information or the stability of its networks. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN) in Magdeburg, together with partners in Bielefeld and Zurich, have investigated how this balance is achieved. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-reshapes-inhibitory-synapses-differently-nerve.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 14 Oct 2026 16:00:12 EDT news711199021 Imagine a medicine that stops seizures at their source, switches off instructions that keep a cancerous tumor growing and prevents Alzheimer's from stealing memories and wreaking havoc on the brain. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-molecular-code-treatments-untreatable-diseases.html Biochemistry Wed, 14 Oct 2026 10:40:23 EDT news711187741 Under the microscope, mitochondria inside healthy terminal Schwann cells form a web of interconnected branches, with tiny doughnut-shaped loops appearing near where the cells branch and split. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-closer-hard-cells-nerve-recovery.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:40:23 EDT news711110522 MIT engineers have developed a new way to program natural killer (NK) immune cells to target cancerous T cells or T cells that have become autoreactive, leading to diseases such as lymphoma and autoimmune hepatitis. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nanoparticle-reprograms-nk-immune-cells.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:20:16 EDT news711107494 Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurological disorders associated with later life, and its prevalence rises sharply with age. It affects the brain systems that control movement, often causing tremor, stiffness, slowness and problems with balance, all of which can reduce independence and quality of life in older adults. The condition is mainly linked to the gradual loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nanostructure-ultrasound-potential-parkinson-treatment.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 12 Oct 2026 18:00:08 EDT news711038281 Scientists have succeeded in reconstructing the family tree of cells in a developing mouse embryo. They recorded cells' relationships, starting when the fertilized egg first split in two and ending after the body and its organs took shape. That period lasted 13.5 days. (Full gestation in mice is 19 to 21 days.) https://phys.org/news/2026-10-dna-typewriter-cells-history-mouse.html Cell & Microbiology Sun, 11 Oct 2026 18:20:01 EDT news710603400 Tardigrades survive conditions that would destroy most other living things: freezing, dehydration and the vacuum of space. Researchers even put tiny tattoos on them, and the animals don't seem to mind. By learning how these critters carry on, researchers hope to find ways to protect human cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-tardigrades-human-blood.html Biochemistry Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:40:12 EDT news710678701 Across mammals, larger species typically have longer lifespans, ranging from only a couple of years for mice to almost 200 years for some whales. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-genes-big-dogs-age-faster.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:00:48 EDT news710602201 Growing inside each of us is a cellular family tree. Every one of the 37 trillion cells in our body is generated from another cell, going all the way back to a single fertilized egg. Much like we can draw a family tree tracking generations of our ancestors, scientists can also create family trees of cells, showing how they're related to each other. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-cell-entire-mouse.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:00:16 EDT news710587681 In optogenetics, scientists control neurons by stimulating them with light—potentially unlocking breakthroughs for conditions such as dementia, depression and blindness. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-brain-cells-nobel-science-optogenetics.html Other Tue, 06 Oct 2026 02:20:04 EDT news710469904 Deep space travel comes with a huge potential downside—radiation exposure that can kill an astronaut either quickly or slowly over time if not managed correctly. But what exactly does that mean, and is there any way to handle it other than sticking more and more protective layers between the squishy biological systems inside a spacecraft and the radiative void of deep space? https://phys.org/news/2026-10-space-biological-cascade-cancer.html Astronomy Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:40:20 EDT news710407742 A new study from EMBL Rome shows how embryos precisely coordinate gene activity during early development. The research is published in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-precision-ivf-tracks-mouse-embryos.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:00:06 EDT news710411461 The Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded Monday to U.S. psychiatrist and neurologist Karl Deisseroth and German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their pioneering work in the neuroscience field of optogenetics. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-german-trio-medicine-nobel-optogenetics.html Other Mon, 05 Oct 2026 06:32:02 EDT news710400687 A small protein known as p11 may play a much broader role in cellular signaling than previously thought. Researchers at Karolinska institutet have now shown that p11 interacts with numerous receptors targeted by commonly used medicines, opening new possibilities for treating conditions such as pain, inflammation and depression. The research is published in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-small-protein-amplify-cell-receptors.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:10:01 EDT news710091422 Extreme dry mouth, caused by radiation used to treat cancer and by autoimmune diseases such as Sjögren's disease, radically affects quality of life for sufferers. It can hamper speaking, swallowing and eating, and for years has seemed an intractable problem. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-salivary-gland-mini-grown-pluripotent.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 01 Oct 2026 17:00:16 EDT news710077441 A research team led by an Oregon State University scientist has demonstrated in a mouse model a potentially better way to care for women facing the life-threatening condition of ectopic pregnancy. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-mouse-reveals-magnetic-nanoparticles-potential.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:20:16 EDT news709999622 RNA vaccines, which have proved effective against COVID-19, are now being developed for many other diseases, including cancer. One drawback is that they require ultracold storage, but MIT researchers have found a promising way to overcome that limitation. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-rna-vaccines-high-temperatures.html Biotechnology Mon, 28 Sep 2026 05:00:01 EDT news709558561 Many liver and lung cancers arise in tissue that's already been scarred by chronic disease, such as hepatitis, cirrhosis or long-term lung damage. That scarring creates an environment that suppresses nearby immune cells, so by the time a tumor takes hold, it's often already shielded from the immune system and immunotherapy. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticles-tumor-scarring-enable-immunotherapy.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 25 Sep 2026 12:00:20 EDT news709548841 An international research team has developed microscopic particles that can make blind retinas respond to light. The particles act as tiny light receptors. Researchers inject them into the eye, where they settle close to nerve cells in the retina. When light hits the particles, it triggers electrical and chemical processes that can activate the nerve cells and prompt them to send signals toward the brain. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticles-retinas-preclinical.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:40:02 EDT news709314961 A KAUST-led team has developed the AI tool Unify to help scientists compare similar cell types across distant species. This comparison can help researchers assess which findings from animal studies may be most relevant to human health. Their study is published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ai-tool-cell-million-years.html Evolution Mon, 21 Sep 2026 17:00:08 EDT news709217246 Gliomas are a major cause of cancer-related deaths in younger adults. About 7,000 patients harbor a common genetic mutation that affects the enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase 1. This mutated enzyme, called mIDH1, can produce a molecule that can reprogram both the tumor cells and the environment in which they grow. The molecule, known as 2-hydroxyglutarate, can also circulate in the blood and reprogram immune cells in the bone marrow. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticles-sensitize-gliomas-radiotherapy.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:20:01 EDT news709215301 Researchers have engineered a drug treatment that shows rapid effectiveness against endometriosis in early testing, laying the foundation for a potential therapy for an incurable, chronic disease that affects 1 in 10 women. The targeted nanotherapy, developed by a team of scientists at Washington State University, reduced endometriosis symptoms and disease progression after a single dose in a mouse model. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticle-drug-delivery-method-treatment.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 21 Sep 2026 15:40:02 EDT news709215002 Flies, mice and humans move in different ways because of their very different physiques, but their movements follow a common pattern— joints farther from the center of the body move faster than those closer to the body. This was demonstrated in a study conducted by a research team from the University of Cologne and Forschungszentrum Jülich led by Professor Dr. Silvia Daun and Professor Dr. Graziana Gatto. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-flies-mice-humans-pattern-radically.html Ecology Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:20:10 EDT news709200662 As we age, some of the cells in our body enter a state of senescence, in which they stop dividing but do not die. Those senescent cells can contribute to age-related disorders such as cancer, tissue degeneration and inflammatory diseases. In an advance that could lead to better ways to diagnose and treat those diseases, MIT researchers have developed a noninvasive way to detect biomarkers of senescence. Their method is based on Raman microscopy, which can reveal the biochemical composition of cells without harming them. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ai-powered-barcode-unmasks-zombie.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 21 Sep 2026 05:00:07 EDT news708944642 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University, Kyoto University, SOKENDAI and the National Institute for Physiological Sciences have revealed how CaMKIIα—a key brain protein involved in learning and memory—organizes itself into chain-like structures. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-memory-protein-molecular-chains-imaging.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:10:05 EDT news708875281 The development of cooking was a major milestone in the evolution of human civilization because it made food easier to digest and more energy-efficient. Heating food can also kill harmful pathogens and make certain foods taste better. Overcooking, on the other hand, can have adverse effects, particularly on proteins. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-shouldnt-overcook-proteins.html Biochemistry Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:10:04 EDT news708788641 The mammalian gut microbiome teems with a delicate balance of bacteria and the viruses that keep them in check, called bacteriophages, or phages. Each bacterial species usually has its own set of phage partners. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-kind-phage-therapy-results-salmonella.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 16 Sep 2026 05:00:13 EDT news708701041